Following the launch of its 'Wall of Shame' campaign, the UK electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body NICEIC has welcomed the action taken by Trading Standards against a building firm and its director who falsely claimed to be a member of the electrical accreditation body.
UKSmart Build.com and its director Ertan Gokay, from Enfield, were fined £8,630 and ordered to pay £1,100 in costs following a prosecution by Brent and Harrow Trading Standards.
The firm said it was NICEIC registered and used the logo on its company website, stationery and billboards. Only approved electrical contractors are allowed to use the logo after having their work verified and checked by NICEIC.
NICEIC originally referred UKSmartBuild to Trading standards in early 2010 and the company was warned and ordered to take down any material using the logo. Further action was then taken when the firm failed to heed the warning and carried on misusing the logo.
'NICEIC is synonymous with quality and a job well done,' said NICEIC's chief operating officer, Emma McCarthy.
'We cannot have rogue traders going around posing as NICEIC registered when, in fact, the quality of their work has never been approved by our organisation. Specifiers need assurances that when they appoint a registered contractor that is exactly what they are getting.'
The NICEIC launched the campaign to name and shame any rogue traders it finds incorrectly using its logo on its website.